You can have your own postal address even without a permanent home. Clarify your residential registration with Skatteetaten, the Tax Administration, and find a reliable way to receive letters. A c/o or postal address does not replace correct residential registration.
What is the difference between a residential and a postal address?
Your residential address shows where you are registered as living. Your postal address shows where you want to receive physical mail from public authorities. They can differ.
The general rule is that your residence is where you regularly sleep. If you have several places, specific rules apply to where you sleep most, and there are exceptions. You therefore cannot choose a residential address simply because it is easiest to collect letters there. See folkeregisterloven § 5-1, the Population Registration Act.
| Information | What is it used for? |
|---|---|
| Residential address | Registration of where you live. |
| Postal address | Physical mail to a place other than your residential address. |
| Mobile number and email | Notifications and digital contact from public authorities. |
Nav retrieves addresses from Folkeregisteret, the National Population Register, and also uses Kontakt- og reservasjonsregisteret, the Contact and Reservation Register, for digital contact. See Nav's contact information guidance. SamfunnPrep explains ordinary registration in the guide to Folkeregisteret and reporting a move.
How are you registered if you have no fixed residence?
Contact Skatteetaten and explain where you are staying. There are rules for people without a known residence. You need an assessment of your situation, rather than just a new postal address.
If you have stronger residential ties to one municipality than to others, you may be registered as living there without a known residence. The length of your stay and other circumstances matter. This is the rule in folkeregisterforskriften § 5-1-11 first paragraph, the Population Registration Regulations.
There is another rule for people who belong in Norway but have no identifiable residence in any municipality. They may be registered as living in Norway without residence in a specific municipality. The handbook explains that this applies when you no longer stay in a specific municipality and have no ties to another specific Norwegian municipality either. It is not an optional solution for everyone without a letterbox. See the explanation in Folkeregisterhåndboken, published on 10 March 2026.
Can you receive mail at a friend's address using c/o?
Yes, c/o is used when you use someone else's letterbox and your name is not on it. Write your own name first, then c/o and the name shown on the letterbox.
First agree that you can use the letterbox, how you will be told about letters and when you can collect them.
This is Skatteetaten's example of the layout, not an address you should use yourself:
Ola Nordmann
c/o Pat Post
Storgata 61
0364 Oslo
c/o means «care of», meaning that mail comes through someone else. It does not by itself show where you live. See Skatteetaten's guidance on c/o.
How do you change your postal address with Skatteetaten?
Use the Endre postadresse service, meaning change postal address, when official mail should go to an address other than the one registered in Folkeregisteret. This applies to addresses both in Norway and abroad. You can also change a postal address for family members or people for whom you are a guardian. See Skatteetaten's service.
If you have a d-number, you can also register or change your address of stay. A d-number is an identification number. An address of stay or postal address must therefore not be confused with being registered as resident.
If you are only changing c/o in an existing residential address and have not moved, Skatteetaten has a separate service for this. It applies to people with a fødselsnummer, a national identity number. With a d-number, or for c/o in a postal address, use the postal address service. If you lack electronic ID, contact Skatteetaten for the correct procedure. See the guidance on changing c/o.
What do you do when you actually move?
Report a move when your residence changes. Changing where your letters are sent is insufficient. Within Norway, the notification must be sent no earlier than 31 days before and no later than 8 days after moving. See Skatteetaten on moving within Norway.
For short stays and changing overnight locations, the assessment can be difficult. A temporary stay of less than six months is usually not treated as residence there, but there is an exception when the place is your only residential connection during that period. Therefore explain whether you still have another home. See folkeregisterforskriften § 5-1-1.
Can you collect mail from Posten without your own letterbox?
When passing through or staying temporarily, Poste Restante may be suitable. This means mail is addressed to a post office or Post i Butikk, a postal outlet in a shop. Use your name, «Poste Restante» and the correct address of the collection point. See Posten's addressing guidance.
Check with Posten which location you can use before giving the address to a sender. Ask how to collect the item, which identification you need and how long it is kept. Do not write only «Posten» as the address. The service is a way to receive mail, not a separate rule for residential registration.
Forwarding can help with letters still arriving at an old address. Posten forwards addressed letters that it distributes. Parcels may require contacting customer service and additional payment. Forwarding abroad has separate restrictions, including for items containing goods. Nor does it guarantee that every item from every delivery company will be forwarded. See Posten's answers about forwarding.
How do you make sure Nav can reach you?
Check both your postal address and digital contact information. Nav receives registered addresses from Folkeregisteret. Changes to mobile numbers and email addresses are made in Kontakt- og reservasjonsregisteret via norge.no. See Nav's guidance.
Tell your adviser if you have difficulty collecting or reading mail. Agree how to follow up appointments, applications and letters. Do not assume that a verbal message automatically changes your address in Folkeregisteret.
Digital mail can be useful, but you must still monitor the channels used by the sender. SamfunnPrep has a separate overview of digital mailboxes.
Who can help when neither housing nor your address is settled?
Skatteetaten assesses registration. Posten answers questions about mail delivery and collection. Nav can advise on your housing situation and help you take the next steps. These roles differ.
If you have nowhere to sleep and stay for the next 24 hours, contact Nav about your situation. Nav can also provide advice and guidance on finding permanent housing. This does not mean all Nav offices offer a postal address you can use. See Nav on having nowhere to live.
Start with this checklist:
- Explain your overnight stays and connections to Skatteetaten.
- Agree on a place where you can actually collect letters.
- Register the correct postal address and any c/o.
- Check your mobile number, email and received letters.
You can find more practical tools on SamfunnPrep. These rules were checked on 7 October 2026.
